1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mounting assemblies, and more particularly to a mounting assembly which readily and firmly secures a plurality of expansion cards in a computer chassis.
2. General Background
Nowadays, most computer systems or other electronic devices employ a plurality of circuit cards, such as expansion cards, adapters, and PC boards. These cards or boards are typically mounted to a computer motherboard in a perpendicular fashion relative to the computer motherboard. In particular, the cards are usually inserted into edge card connectors, which are mounted on the computer motherboard. However, merely inserting a card into an edge card connector is typically insufficient to securely maintain the card within the computer chassis. A card connected in this fashion could easily disconnect from the edge card connector, which may prevent, or significantly inhibit, acceptable operation of the computer. Accordingly, additional structure is normally required to secure a card within a computer chassis. A conventional manner of securing a card within a computer chassis is to provide a card bracket fastened to the computer chassis with a removable screw. Specifically, each mounting bracket is normally disposed across a card slot formed in the computer chassis and may include an aperture through which the fastener screw may pass. However, securing a card-mounting bracket to a computer chassis by using a screw that passes through the bracket and into the computer chassis may present problems. One significant disadvantage of a screw-secured bracket is that the screw is often inadvertently dropped into the computer chassis during installation and removal of the bracket.
A typical mounting assembly for securing expansion cards includes a rear panel and a fixing cover attached to the rear panel. The rear panel defines a plurality of expansion slots for receiving expansion cards. A fixing plate is stamped from the rear panel adjacent to an end of the expansion slots and forms a plurality of protrusions. Each expansion card includes a slot cover forming a bent portion for abutting against the fixing plate. Each bent portion defines a cutout for engaging with the protrusion of the fixing plate thereby positioning the expansion card. The fixing cover forms a plurality of elastic tabs for pressing the bent portion of the slot cover thereby fixing the expansion card. A pair of through holes is defined in the fixing cover and a pair of screw holes is correspondingly defined in the rear panel. A pair of bolts extends through the through holes and threadedly engages in the screw holes thereby fixing the fixing cover to the rear panel. However, the above-described operation of the mounting assembly for securing expansion cards is comparatively complicated.
What is needed, therefore, is a mounting assembly which readily and firmly secures a plurality of expansion cards to a computer chassis.